Joshua Jorel Tagle Lee

How ENGLCOM Improved My Writing Skills

2010-04-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of the course, I, along with the rest of the class, was required to write about my strengths and weaknesses in the English language. I wrote that I had lapses in terms of my grammar and consistency. While some of these weaknesses are still apparent in my writing, I was able to further hone my writing skills.

One such example was my tense consistency. ENGLCOM served as a great review for the lessons I learned from high school. One of the weaknesses I mentioned was consistency. Throughout this course, I was able to become more aware of my errors and correct them accordingly.

Although I may have improved in some areas, the course allowed me to discover some of my weaknesses as well. In every essay, I noticed that my peer evaluators would note that I made a run-on sentence. By the end of the term, I realized that I have a tendency to write run-on sentences and not be able to notice it. Perhaps further writing would enable me to conquer this weakness.

Through ENGLCOM, I was able to sharpen my grammatical skills and learn some new words. Although ENGLCOM did not focus on speaking or presentation, there were times when presenting was needed. Honestly, I believe that it was helpful and good practice for SPEECOM next term.

Overall, ENGLCOM served as a “polishing up” of basic writing skill we already had in high school. Nevertheless, ENGLCOM was an opportunity to improve my writing skills through writing different and varied essays.

My Strengths and Weaknesses in English

2010-04-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

My whole life, I was not raised to speak in English. Being a Chinese-Filipino, especially one living in Binondo, I was encouraged to speak in Tagalog or Hokkien, the lingua franca for most Chinese-Filipinos living here in the Philippines. However, I firmly believe that it was my school that taught and allowed me to be considerably competent in the English language. It was at my stay in Xavier School which enabled me to speak , read and write at an above average level in English; however, there are still things I need to improve on.

One of the competencies I have now is speaking with fair pronunciation and in an audible voice. Throughout my thirteen-year stay, presentation was a very important aspect in our English department. Presentations, whether individual or by group, was an important criteria for grading not just in the English subject, but for different subjects as well that required people to present in front of the class. So it was very important to me that I present my outputs well because I did not want to be embarrassed as well get a good grade. Though I consider myself an above average speaker, I still acknowledge the things I lack.

I am not oblivious to the fact that when I present, there are inconsistencies in terms of grammar and the overall flow of how I speak. This may be due to my lack of confidence perhaps in certain topics or to my easily distracted thoughts. Another flaw I see in my English is my limited vocabulary. I tend to forget words or be unable to express my thoughts well because I am “missing” the word or I do not know the proper term to use.

In my understanding, ENGLCOM is a course specifically for speaking or communicating in English, hence the name “English Communications.” Hopefully, ENGLCOM would be able to sharpen my grammatical skills and add more words to my vocabulary. Moreover, I want to enhance my impromptu skills when presenting or speaking in front of people. Since this course would require reading and writing, I think it would probably help my vocabulary and grammar. Hopefully, there are also activities that require presenting in front of the class to allow me to practice my presentation skills.

Why Television is Harmful to Children

2010-04-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

In today’s society, it is not surprising to see that technology such as television has been integrated in their culture. Watching television nowadays can be considered as a past time. However, is there any real danger in watching television? Does it really have a negative effect on anyone’s lifestyle, especially on children? Watching television is bad for children because it can cause seizures and lead to sleep deprivation.

In 1997, there was an incident one evening in Japan. 685 people, mostly children suffered epileptic seizures simultaneously. The apparent cause was that all the victims were watching the television show, “Pocket Monsters” or “Pokemon” for short. There is evidence that the seizures were caused by the rapid changes of colour from the show. Flickering lights that can be seen in the images on television may trigger epileptic seizures. People who experience these said seizures suffered from photosensitive epilepsy. Rapid changes in lighting cause the nerve cells in the brain to fire electrical impulses faster than normal. Photosensitive epilepsy can cause muscular convulsions or loss of consciousness (American Neurological Association, 1999).

Photosensitive epilepsy is caused by viewing rapid changes of light. Watching television exposes children to that risk. It increases the chances of them viewing something that would make them go into an epileptic seizure. With that said, watching television is harmful to children.

According to the study conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, watching television seemed to be the most dominant pre-sleep activity. From that finding, they discovered that time spent on watching television was the most important time cue for sleeping. Television made people stay up late more than they normally should, while their alarm clocks made them wake early; thus, reducing time for sleep below what is physiologically needed. Having less than 7 to 8 hours of sleep impairs alertness, increases the chances for obesity, morbidity and mortality. In essence, sleep deprivation can be caused by watching television (2009).

On a side note, watching television may not be all bad. For the socially awkward, television can drive away feelings of loneliness and rejection. Research by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and Miami University, Ohio, (2009) indicates that the illusionary relationships with the characters on TV shows can provide people with feelings of belonging and acceptance, even after being rejected by friends or family or having low self esteem. Though it may comfort the person, TV never solves the problem. It only disillusions the person into thinking that he or she lives in a different reality, rather than face the problem himself. Mainly, it blurs reality from fantasy.

Television may be a way to pass the time, but prolonged exposure can be harmful to people, especially the children. It may comfort some people with low self esteem, but cannot offer more than a temporary escape from reality. Photosensitive epilepsy and sleep deprivation, both of which are harmful to children can be caused by one simple activity, watching television.

Sources:

1. American Neurological Association ( 1999, June 1). Color Changes In TV Cartoons Cause Seizures. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/06/990601080722.htm

2. University at Buffalo(2009, April 23). A Warm TV Can Drive Away Feelings Of Loneliness And Rejection. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422103730.htm

3. American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2009, June 8). Television Warching before Bedtime Can Lead To Sleep Debt. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/09060807.htm

Murder as Defined by Law

2010-04-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Most societies today consider murder as one of the most grievous crime a person may commit. This begs the question, “what is murder?” Is murder simply an act of taking away life? Is it still murder if the act was committed by accident? According to common law for countries, murder is the result of taking away another human being’s life with malice aforethought (“Murder”, 2010). The act of killing is intentional along with a wicked and corrupt motive. A person is guilty with murder if it is proven that the person committed an act that caused the death of another person, acted with malice aforethought, and killed without any legal jurisdiction (“Criminal Law”, 2006).

There is a term with this definition that is rather unclear, this so called “malice aforethought.” It is a predetermined state of mind to commit an act with intent to kill another human being or wilful to commit an act that has severe consequences to human life. However, it does not necessarily imply ill-will, anger or hatred towards the victim (“Malice Aforethought”, 2008). Take note, malice aforethought is a mental state that formed before the act was committed.

Malice aforethought may include the following: one, there is a conscious intent to take away life. Before the act occurred, there was a desire to kill; two, there is an intent to cause serious physical harm to another which may result n death. As with the first case, there is intent, however the intent was to harm, not kill. If the victim dies from the injuries he or she sustained, that is considered murder with malice aforethought. Lastly, it includes a depraved state of mind that makes the person have no concern or disregard for human life. Therefore if a robber holds up a bank and an innocent bystander is killed in a shootout, there is malice aforethought (“Malice Aforethought”, 2008).

Malice aforethought has two kinds, express malice and implied malice. Express malice means that the person unlawfully intended to kill. A person acted with implied malice if an act was committed intentionally, had dangerous consequences, the person had known these consequences and had a conscious disregard for human life. If there is proof for either one, it is sufficient to establish the state of mind required for murder (“Criminal Law”, 2006).

There are cases where a person has killed another man, but may not be considered as murder. Killing without intent is called manslaughter. Justified or accidental killings are considered as homicides (“Murder”, 2010). As the loss of life brings great distress and pain towards the people close to the victim, as well the fact that murder deprives the victim of their existence, society have considered murder as the most serious crime anyone commit that is worthy of the harshest punishment. Doing an act that causes another person to lose their life is murder if it is without legal jurisdiction, with wicked intent, and malice aforethought.

Sources:

1. "Criminal Law" (2006, January). Retrieved March 31, 2010 from http://www.justia.com/criminal/docs/calcrim/500/520.html

2. "Malice Aforethought" (2008). Retrieved March 31, 2010 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/malice+aforethought

3. "Murder" (2010). Retrieved March 31, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder

How Badminton Affects Life

2010-04-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

As a child, growing up may sometimes be mediocre especially when a person may not have special skills. He or she can get high grades in school, but still not be considered a genius. However, skill and talent can be discovered when doing other things or playing other sports such as badminton.

When people grow up, they tend to experience and discover new things as well. It is there someone may discover his penchant for badminton. He could then go on and develop his skills to the point wherein he needs a challenge.

Badminton, in all of its aspects, is a tough sport. It is easy to play but hard to master. With increasing difficulty, it has its benefits. In playing and competing in badminton, one can become physically fit, meet new people and meet their first love.

Badminton is very physically demanding. It requires constant movement around the court, especially when playing a singles game. Therefore, physical fitness is a must for the sport. Training at least four hours a day, maybe sometimes even five hours or more and six times a week, will allow that person to gain the physical fitness needed to play the sport. Training may include running, not jogging, around a 400 meter track and at least 10 laps. Furthermore, a time limit may be given to finish the track and a corresponding consequence may be given if the player or trainee fails to complete the run in time. However, training does not stop there. After the exhausting run, the player may need to do drills, lift weights, and other physical exercises later in the day at the behest of his coach. Some coaches would even prevent the player from taking a break or resting until he or she vomited. Players train not only to get physically fit, but mostly, to compete in different tournaments and see how they fare against people with the same skill level or greater. In competing in various tournaments, the player may be able to meet different people.

Being trained by a well known coach and representing a club, team, or school has its own benefits. There is an opportunity to meet a lot of new people and at the same time, be known to others through exceptional playing skills. Fame may be given to people who win tournaments and especially to those unnamed people who are able to beat top ranking players in major competitions. Wherever the winner goes, surely there would be people who would know his or her name. Not only that, winning competitions may give a player the chance to be sponsored and sent to training camps to even better his skills. Meeting all those people, I was able to meet the first girl I ever loved.

I was sent to a training camp in Antipolo for two months. We were a group of nine players who were being trained by two Indonesian coaches. Even though all of us bonded in that short amount of time, I became close with this girl I trained with. At first, we became good friends, but after spending so much time together, even after the camp ended, we eventually became best friends. Not long after that, I started to have feelings for this girl. Things in time did not work out for the both of us, but currently, we still are good friends. I am thankful I got to experience all of this, all because of one thing, badminton.

If it was not for badminton, I could have been a different person today. Badminton has pulled me out of my shell and I am glad because I am having fun. I will never forget the times when I trained until my body would give in and the numerous interesting people I met. Badminton has been and always will be an integral part of my life because I became fit, met people and fell in love.

Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera

2010-03-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were both influential teenage pop stars during the late 1990’s. Britney Jean Spears, born December 2, 1981 in Mississippi, first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search Program and later became a “mouseketeer” in Disney Channel’s television series, The All New Mickey Mouse Club. Christina Maria Aguilera, on the other hand, was a year older than her soon to be rival then, being born on December 18, 1980. Like Britney, she also first appeared on national television in 1990 on the Star Search Program and also later became a “mouseketeer.” During the late 1990’s, both became successful teenage pop stars with hits like “Oops! I Did It Again” and “What a Girl Wants” for Britney and Christina respectively. Both of them equated maturity with sexual curiosity and wild partying in their songs. So what makes them different? Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera could be compared in terms of music, image, and influences.

For Spears, her style of music involved a combination of dance-pop with smooth balladry. Looking at her fellow pop sensations at the time such as the Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync, and the like, her voice compared to them gave off this raspy, but surprisingly sexy voice. What made Britney stand out from her peers was her convincing performance and committed delivery.

While Britney had this sexy but sometimes robotic voice, Christina was a soprano and could sing in the high whistle register. Her voice perfectly complemented her music. Aguilera had often been compared with the likes of big time Hollywood singers Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Originally, Aguilera was marketed as a bubblegum pop singer on her debut. However, she quickly departed to a broader range of musical genres like vampy soul, quiet storm R&B, and semi-exotic rock. Unlike Britney, Christina Aguilera did not rely much on snappy dance moves or musical synthesizers; she was as natural as she could get.

In her music and manner, Britney’s public image could be described as being a bad girl pretending to be good. People see Spears as the “girl next door” letting go of her inhibitions and partying recklessly.

Though Christina Aguilera may show some skin, but by the way she acts, she is too timid or not eager to offend anyone. Unlike Britney, she is easily described as a teenage slut because of the way she dresses and the content of some of her songs.

Lastly, Spears drew inspiration from Janet Jackson, Madonna, and even Michael Jackson; all of which were successful pop stars in the 1980’s. In her third album, Britney, Janet Jackson and Madonna’s influences were demonstrated due to the sexual content and upbeat tunes of the songs like I’m a Slave 4 U and Boys. Basically, Britney Spears got her inspiration from 80’s pop stars.

Unlike Britney, who chose to get her inspiration from A-list stars in the 1980’s; Aguilera’s major influence in music was blues singer Etta Jones. Etta was Christina Aguilera’s all time favourite singer. James’ classic song, At Last, had been performed by Christina all throughout her career. It could be clearly noted in her transition from pop to other genres that Aguilera wanted to become a serious singer like her idol, Etta James.

When comparing the difference between the two pop sensations, Britney relied more in her unquestionable performance, striking dance moves, and altered voice. Christina had the voice on par with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey: there was no need for her to rely on other flashy gimmicks. Their public image contrasted with one another. Britney pretended to be nice, while Christina pretended to be bad. As seen by their choice of music, their musical influences greatly affected their musical genre. Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were very much different as seen in their musical style, public image, and musical influences.

Sources:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney_spears

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_aguilera

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-03-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

Chocolate chip cookies have always been a favourite snack among kids and adults alike for many years. Though eating these snacks is quite fun, making them may even be more enjoyable since anyone would enjoy the fruits of his or her own labour. It is easy to become an expert in making cookies in general, either learning or practicing how to bake. Generally, anyone could be an expert just by reading several cookbooks. The process for making chocolate chip cookies is easy to make when certain steps are followed.

To start off, 185 grams of unsalted butter (about 1 bar), ¾ cup of granulated sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 ¼ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips need to be prepared. For the utensils, you would need a baking oven, an electric mixer, 2 mixing bowls, a table spoon, a metal tray, and a wire rack are needed. These ingredients make about five dozen cookies depending on your desired size. The materials or ingredients are necessary for baking the cookies. One missing or wrongly measured ingredient could affect the whole batch.

Preheat the oven at 180 Celsius or about 350 Fahrenheit. Before putting in the ingredients, be sure to save at least one small slice of butter or the wrapping of the butter for later. Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt into one bowl. These will be used for later. Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in the other mixing bowl. If the butter is still hard, allow it some time to melt, so mixing the butter with the sugars will be easier. Using the egg beater, mix the butter mixture until soft and creamy. Afterwards, add the eggs and start mixing once again until the it has been completely mixed with the mixture. Be careful not to over-mix because the batter might lose its consistency making the cookies not taste as good.

After mixing, slowly stir in the flour mixture and then the chocolate chips until they mix completely with the batter. Again, be careful not to over-mix and you need to mix the batter properly to ensure that the chocolate chips mix evenly with the batter.

Prepare the tray, and grease it with the small slice of butter or the wrapper from early on. Then take out the spoon and start getting spoonfuls of the batter and put it on the tray. Make sure there is at least one or two inches of space between cookies on the tray. This is to prevent the cookies from merging with each other during the baking process.

Once the tray is full, leave it in the oven for eight to ten minutes or until lightly browned, then let it cool on the wire rack for two to three minutes. While waiting for the cookies to cool, start preparing another batch of cookies by repeating the process until the batter is all used up.

To sum up the process of making cookies, prepare the ingredients and materials needed. Preheat the oven then mix the ingredients together making sure the batter is not over-mixed. Grease the tray and put spoonfuls of the batter making sure there is space in between the dollops of batter. Bake it in the oven for eight to ten minutes or until lightly browned.

For safety purposes, make sure to wear oven mitts when taking the tray out of the oven because the tray will obviously be hot. The texture of the cookies can be carried by the amount and type of sugar used. To make the cookies more chewy, use more brown sugar. Conversely, use more granulated sugar or white sugar to make the cookies crisper.

Overall, there are so many recipes for making cookies in general. The ingredients and the process of baking cookies may vary from recipe to recipe; nevertheless, when those steps are followed, it is easy to make cookies. With practice, baking gets easier and easier over time.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: a Successful Action Star

2010-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

On July 30, 1947, a baby boy with huge dreams was born in a small farm in Thal, Austria. Born as Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger, this young boy filled determination was raised by Gustav Schwarzenegger, the local police chief, and Aurelia Jadrny, a wife widowed early with a son of her own. Growing up was not so easy for the young and lively Arnold. In an ironic twist to life, Arnold was not considered the legitimate son by his father because of suspicion against his mother's fidelity. Arnold claimed his "supposed" raised him with a heart made of stone and an iron fist. He was not favored, unlike his half-brother, pampered with most of what his lucky heart desires and spoiled by the man who is not actually his real father. While his relationship with his father was unstable, his mother on the other hand was caring and loving until her untimely death.

Living most of his early life in a small and quiet farm, where there was hardly any trouble or something breath taking, Arnold had dreams of going to America and live a life filled with unimaginable excitement. He firmly believed that his only way to America was through bodybuilding. So, at the age of twenty-one, he was able to change his normal and boring lifestyle, into one that is spontaneous. It was then he trained rigorously, almost everyday until his muscles would tire and give in, and his body exhausted enough to be unable to move. After months of training, he then entered several bodybuilding competitions, almost always finishing with shiny gold. It was in one of his competitions where he was chosen for the lead role in his first film. At this point, he would start his career in acting. Arnold Schwarzenegger would experience numerous successes as well as failures in his run as an actor.

In 1970, he starred in his first feature film, Hercules in New York. In this film, he portrayed "Hercules", the son of Zeus, whom is being punished for his arrogance and was sent to New York. Due to his thick Austrian accent, and unclear delivery and mispronunciation of words, some of his lines were dubbed for better clarity. Unfortunately, the film did poorly in the ratings. After that, he continued to star in different films. His third film, Stay Hungry, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best New Male Star of the Year.

Despite his small successes in films, people in his line of business still told him he had absolutely no chance of becoming big. That was until he had a breakthrough with Conan the Barbarian. The film was undoubtedly well received and grossed over two hundred million dollars worldwide. He would then star in another blockbuster hit, with most people considering this film his signature film, The Terminator. Arnold had a brief surge in his career, giving the new Hollywood superstar world renowned fame. Everywhere, almost around the globe, everybody knew who Arnold Schwarzenegger was. Due to his fame, he was cast as the lead role for the numerous films. The roles he played in his movies would often reflect his droll, self-deprecating humor, which is associated with bad puns, something he is also known for.

Again, in 1991, he starred in a huge blockbuster film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It was the highest grossing film in 1991. After the success of the movie, he was awarded as the International Star of the Decade by the National Association of Theater Owners. Following his success, he had a brief period in directing, but he only managed to direct three films. Finally after numerous years of starring in different films, he starred in his last movie, which was also a smashing success, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Though he had a lot of success in his run as an actor, sadly, his acting career had to end like a candle burns its brightest before its flames run out. In 2003, he announced his candidacy for governor of California. People were astounded after hearing his candidacy, but mostly, his fans were saddened because the legend that was Arnold had to retire. Although he won the elections, this did not stop him from being featured in cameo roles in other feature films such as Around the World in 80 Days and Terminator: Salvation, for the latter, footage from previous "Terminator" films were digitally added.

Overall, his accumulated wealth from all of his movies would reach above five hundred million dollars. This along with his apparent fan base, epic and classic movies, make him one of the most successful action stars of Hollywood in this century.